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DRPS : Course Catalogue : School of Informatics : Informatics

Postgraduate Course: Computer Graphics (Level 11) (INFR11021)

Course Outline
SchoolSchool of Informatics CollegeCollege of Science and Engineering
Credit level (Normal year taken)SCQF Level 11 (Year 4 Undergraduate) AvailabilityAvailable to all students
SCQF Credits10 ECTS Credits5
SummaryThis course is replaced by Computer Graphics: Rendering (INFR11246) from 2023-2024.

This introductory course in computer graphics comprises of three parts. The first part of the course presents a bird's-eye view of the current state-of-the-art in the field. The latter two parts cover rendering, which is one of the core topics in computer graphics, in detail. The second part of the course teaches central concepts in rendering, along with the relevant mathematics. Finally, the third part of the course focusses on applications of the theory taught in the second part.
Course description SYLLABUS

Part I
* Introduction [1]
* Radiometry and photometry [1]
* Modelling [1]
* Special effects I: relighting [1]
* Special effects II: compositing [1]

Part II
* Raytracing [1]
* The rendering equation [2]
* Monte Carlo path tracing [2]
* Sampling [2]
* Camera effects [1]

Part III
* Participating media [1]
* Acceleration structures [1]
* MCMC methods for light transport [1]
* Gradient domain path tracing [1]
* Overview of current research [1/2]
* Discussion of open problems in rendering [1/2]
* Conclusion [1]
Entry Requirements (not applicable to Visiting Students)
Pre-requisites Co-requisites
Prohibited Combinations Students MUST NOT also be taking Computer Graphics (Level 11) (UG) (INFR11220)
Other requirements MSc students must register for this course, while Undergraduate students must register for INFR11220 instead.

All coursework will involve programming, and so it is expected that students will have programming experience. The rendering libraries used in the course are written in C++. Some provide Python interfaces. The workload has been estimated assuming relevant programming experience.

Students are assumed to have mathematical knowledge and have substantial programming experience. Knowledge of algorithms and data structures relating to geometry will also be assumed.
Information for Visiting Students
Pre-requisitesAs above.
High Demand Course? Yes
Course Delivery Information
Not being delivered
Learning Outcomes
On completion of this course, the student will be able to:
  1. Define different sub-topics of Computer Graphics and to identify the focus of each of these areas. The student will also be able to describe the key open (and imminent) problems in each focus area.
  2. Explain the difference between real-time rendering systems (used in the video game industry) and physically-based rendering (used in cinematic and medical applications).
  3. Predict performance and output of state-of-the-art rendering libraries and tools for different classes of input models.
  4. Design and develop programs to solve specific rendering problems by exploiting features of state-of-the-art rendering libraries.
  5. Interpret the results of standard algorithms on their respective failure cases, and suggest alternatives.
Reading List
None
Additional Information
Graduate Attributes and Skills Practical skills: understanding and using open-source libraries to solve problems, application of theoretical concepts to solve novel practical problems.
Cognitive skills: problem-solving, analytical thinking.
Responsibility, autonomy and effectiveness: independent learning, creativity and time-management.
KeywordsRendering,Real-time,Monte Carlo Image Synthesis,Raytracing,Light transport,Rasterization
Contacts
Course organiserDr Amir Vaxman
Tel: (0131 6)50 8286
Email: avaxman@inf.ed.ac.uk
Course secretaryMiss Yesica Marco Azorin
Tel: (0131 6)50 5194
Email: ymarcoa@ed.ac.uk
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